The four facilities were chosen partly because they see higher volumes of remanded inmates moving in and out of custody than do other centres, B.C. Corrections said in a statement.

Exactly how effective the body scanners are at drug interdiction will be evaluated in coming months, before possibly being installed in other facilities across the province.

In 2016, Ontario became the first province to install full body scanners in all of its jails. The Alberta government will also be installing a similar scanner at the Edmond Remand Centre as early as December.